Research
Energy balance
Increased television viewing is associated with higher body weights in children and adults, potentially through increased eating rather than decreased physical activity.
Limit television viewing time to reduce exposure to food advertising and mindless eating.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Several studies have now shown that the number of hours of television viewing per week is associated with higher body weights in both children and adults.
Why this rating
Based on cross-sectional and longitudinal studies; the paper notes associations are subject to question due to inconsistent and sometimes weak associations.
Source
The Changing Environment and Population Obesity in the United States
Robert W. Jeffery et al. · Obesity Research · 2003
DOI 10.1038/oby.2003.221
narrative_reviewCited 230×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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